News

11 November 2009: Scientists and Convention on Biological Diversity (CBD) officials have stressed that, as global warming alters temperatures and precipitation patterns around the world, the threat posed by invasive species is rising.

The CBD considers the combined effects of climate change and invasive species to be the main drivers of biodiversity loss across the planet. Kalemani Mulongoy, CBD principal officer of scientific, technical and technological matters, explained that “Climate change is creating some difficult conditions for a number of living organisms and most of the invasive alien species are more resistant, more opportunistic than the organisms in a given place.” Stas Burgiel, policy director at the Global Invasive Species Program (GISP), an international partnership of scientists, non-governmental organizations, intergovernmental organizations and policymakers, added that this phenomenon occurs in all ecosystem types.[UN Press Release]